Novi Sad, 21st October – Dr Bálint Juhász, President of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina Assembly, attended today the closing conference of the STOP FIRES project, “StrengThening Organizations in the Protection against FIRES”, where Serbia - Hungary cross-border cooperation results in the prevention of and protection against forest fires were presented.
“The particular value of this project lies in the fact that its results do not remain a dead letter. They are reflected in new equipment, modern systems, knowledge and improved preparedness among the people who are first on the scene. Smoke is detected by technology first, but ultimately, people are putting out fires,” president Juhász emphasised.
The STOP FIRES project was implemented under the Interreg VI-A IPA Hungary–Serbia cross-border cooperation programme, with a total budget of EUR 1.63 million, of which 85 per cent was funded by the European Union. The lead partner was the public enterprise Vojvodinašume, with the following project partners: the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina European Affairs Fund, the Republic of Serbia Ministry of the Interior – Sector for Emergency Management, and the Hungarian KEFAG Forestry and Wood Industry Plc.
As part of the project, a forest fire detection and monitoring system was established, a specialised firefighting and rescue vehicle was procured, a study on the groundwater resources of the Subotica Sands was prepared, and joint training sessions were organised for Serbian and Hungarian services. The project also contributed to the development of a cross-border emergency response plan for forest fires, serving as a pilot initiative of its kind in the region. Equipment was also provided to five volunteer fire brigades in North Bačka.
President Juhász also reminded the audience of this year’s fire at Deliblato Sands, where professional and volunteer firefighters, Vojvodinašume employees, members of the Ministry of the Interior and the Serbian Armed Forces, local residents and international teams - all took part in putting out the fire and protecting nearby settlements.
“That experience reminds us how important early fire detection, thorough preparedness and coordinated action are. Fire does not recognise borders, and therefore fire protection must not stop at the border either. We do not wait for an emergency to begin cooperating; instead, we develop joint procedures, share equipment and expertise, and build trust in advance,” Mr Juhász said, emphasising that projects of this kind provide a tangible example of the benefits of European support and partnership.
“Today’s conference is the closing one, but the work of protecting people and nature has no closing conference. The project has an end; safety does not,” President Juhász concluded.
Mr Roland Kokai, Director of the public enterprise Vojvodinašume, the project lead partner, noted that the results achieved had contributed to the European Union already allocating funds for a new project, STOP FIRES 2. Mr Ognjen Dopuć, Director of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina European Affairs Fund, stressed that EUR 1.1 million from the project had been invested in the procurement of specialised vehicles and the equipping of emergency services. He also noted that the Fund would continue to place significant emphasis on project-related training and support for volunteer fire brigades.
The project’s results, the cross-border emergency response plan, and the systems and equipment for forest fire detection and monitoring were presented at the Conference.